Convertible bulkhead



Jan. 31, 1950 c. 1.. MOORMAN 2,495,903

CONVERTIBLE BULKHEAD Filed Oct. 22, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 C. L. MOORMANCONVERTIBLE BULKHEAD Jan. 31, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 22, 1945Patented Jan. 31, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONVERTfBLE 7 CharlesL. Moor-man, Millington, Ill.-, a's'sig-no'r to Union Asbestos & RubberCompany, a. cor-perm tion of Illinois 13 Glaims.

This invention relates to convertible bulkheads or the type used inrefrigerator cars or the like and particularly tooper-ating and holdingmechanisms for such bulkheads.

Convertible bulkheads have been proposed for refrigerator cars which canbe moved from an extended position separating the car into ice andlading compartments to a retracted position against the end of the carto leave the entire car space available for l'a'ding. Such bulkheadshave usually been so mounted that they can be raised in the car formovement and have been provided with holding means to prevent movementwhen they are in a lowered position.

finder certain operating conditions as, for ex'- ample, high speed onrough track, the bulkhead may rise to release the holding means. If thisshould occur serious damage to the lading or the car or both may result.I I

It is accordingly one of the objects of the present invention to providea convertible bulkhead which is securely latched in position againstaccidental displacement. I

Another object is to provide a convertible bulkhead which is heldagainst movement in the car when it is in a lowered position and inwhich a releasable latch is provided to prevent accidental raising ofthe bulkhead.

Still another object is to provide a bulkhead in which the operatingmechanism for raising and lowering the bulkhead controls the latch.Preferably the construction is such that initial movement of theoperating mechanism releases the latch and subsequent movement raisesthe bulk"- head.

A further object is to provide a simple and in expensive latchconstruction for a bulkhead.

A still further object is to provide a simple yet sturdy and reliablemechanism for raising and controlling a bulkhead.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be morereadily apparent from the following description when read in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, in w Figure l is a partial frontelevation of a bulkhead illustrating the mounting thereof in arefrigerator car;

Figure 2 is a partial rear elevation of the bulkhead; I

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of. Figure 1; p v V a Figure 4 isa perspective view of the latch plate;

Figure 5 is a partial section showing the operating mechanism.

The bulkhead, as illustrated, is mounted in a conventional refrigeratorcar having a roof I 0, Side walls H and a lading floor supported onlongitudinally extending channel beams I2. A track 1311s mountedadjacent the ceiling ofthe car which may be formed of a channel sectionpart with its lower edges turned in to provide supporting flanges forrollers I4. The rollers are supported by a carriage for movementlongitudinally of the car;

A movable bulkhead mounted in the car for longitudinal movement thereinand as illustrated, is formed by spaced vertical channel beams itcovered throughputa partof their front surface by planking or the like16. The bulkhead is ad'ahted to beinoved from an extended positionSpaced rom the end of the car to divide the car into a ladingcompartment and an ice compartment to a retracted position adjacent theend wall of the car. For this purpose the bulkhead is supported from thetrack 13 in such a manner that it can be raised and lowered and can bemoved alongthe track from its extended to its retracted position when itis raised. As shown, thebulkhead carries adjacent its upper part asupport 20 extending between adjacent beams I5 and having an annularflange 20a thereon rotatable supporting plate or disc I! which isconnected by an adjustable link I 8 to the carriage on which thejrollersM are carried. The link is ispivotally connected to the supportihg plateI! eccentric to its axis so that the bulkhead will be raised and loweredas the plate is turned. V

For turning the plate, an operating handle I9 is, provided, pivotallyconnected to the plate througha vertical spindle 2! on the plate. Theoperating handle in this way can be swung toward and away from thebulkhead so that it will overlie the upper edge of the planking as shownin Figures 1 and 3 or can be swung out to clear the planking for turningthe operating plate. When the bulkheadis in its lowered position, asillustrated, the handle I9 will lie just above the planking l6 and canbe. 'secured in place by a rotatable latch member 22. When the latch isreleased, the handle can be swung out and pulled down by an operator inthe ladi'ng compartment of the car to raise the bulkhead.

When the bulkhead is in its. lowered position, as shown, it is adaptedto be held against movement in the car by cooperating parts on thebulkhead and in the car. As shown, a transverse supporting beam 23 isprovided carried by the longitudinal beams l2. and forming a transverseopen channel extending across the car. The lower edge of the bulkheadcarries a channel shaped fin 24 adapted to fit into the opening in thebeam 23 so that the bulkhead will be held against longitudinal movement.When the bulkhead is raised, the fin 24 will clear the beam 23 so thatthe bulkhead can be moved freely along the track.

In use it might occur with the bulkhead in its lowered position that itwill tend. to rise out 1 of the channel in the beam 23 as, for example,

when operating over rough track or due to the action of the lading andthe ice thereon. To prevent accidental raising of the bulkhead, a latchis provided engageable with the beam 23 to hold the bulkhead in itslowered position resting on the beam. As shown, the latch comprises alatch plate 25 bent over at its upper edge to provide a hook portionwhichis adapted to be hooked over a cross beam 26 at the lower edge ofthe bulkhead. As best seen in Figure 3, the latch plate extends over theouter face of the beam 26 and has an inturned latching flange 21 at itslower edge adapted to engage a horizontal flange on the beam 23. Theplate 25 is so balanced that it normally tends to move by gravity to thelatching position, as shown in full lines.

To release the latch and permit raising of the bulkhead when desired, anoperating arm 28 is welded to the latch plate and projects inwardlytherefrom toward the center of the bulkhead at an acute angle to thehorizontal, as seen in Figure 3. The arm 28 is perforated to receive alink 29 which extends through the perforations in the arm and carriesabutments such as stop nuts 31 on the opposite sides of the plate. Thelink 29 is pivoted to the operating plate ll at a point spacedsubstantially 90 from the connection of the link Hi to the plate, asbest seen in Figure 2.

When the bulkhead is lowered and the operating plate is turned to theposition shown, the link 29 will be raised to permit the latch plate tomove to its latching position. In this position the flange 21 engagesthe beam 23 positively to prevent raising of the bulkhead. When it isdesired to raise the bulkhead, the arm i9 is turned in a clockwisedirection, as seen in Figure 2, to press down on the link 29 and to pulldown on the link l8. Due to the spacing of the pivots, it will be seenthat the link 29 will be moved more rapidly than the link I8 duringinitial movement of the operating lever. When the link 29 is moved down,the upper stop nut 31 will engage the top of the arm 28 to rock thelatch plate 25 to its release position as shown in dotted linesin Figure3. This operation will occur during initial turning of the operatingplate I! before the bulkhead has been raised to any appreciable extentso that upon continued turning of the operating plate, the bulkhead canbe raised freely.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described indetail, it will be understood that this is illustrative only and is notintended as a definition of the scope of the invention, reference beinghad for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a refrigerator car or the like having a longitudinally extendingtrack therein, a bulkhead, means connecting the bulkhead to the trackfor movement thereon from an extended to a retracted position, and forraising and lowering the bulkhead, a movable operating member to controlraising and lowering of the bulkhead, a latch to prevent movement of thebulkhead when it is in lowered position, and a connection from theoperating member to the latch to release the latch when the operatingmember is moved in a direction to raise the bulkhead.

2. In a refrigerator car or the like having a longitudinally extendingtrack therein, a bulkhead, means connecting the bulkhead to the trackfor movement thereon from an extended to a retracted position, and forraising and lowering the bulkhead, a movable operating member to controlraising and lowering of the bulkhead, cooperating parts on the car andthe bulkhead to prevent movement of the bulkhead in the car when it isin lowered position, a latch to prevent raising of the bulkhead from alowered position, and a connection from the operating member to thelatch to release the latch when the operating member is moved in adirection to raise the bulkhead.

' 3. In a refrigerator car or the like having a longitudinally extendingtrack therein, a vertical bulkhead, a rotatable operating member on thebulkhead, means including a link connected to the operating member forsupporting the bulkhead on the track whereby the bulkhead will be raisedand lowered as the operating member is turned, a latch to hold thebulkhead against movement when it is in lowered position, and aconnection from the operating member to the latch to release the latchwhen the operating member is turned in a direction to raise thebulkhead.

4. In a refrigerator car or the like having a longitudinally extendingtrack therein, a vertical bulkhead, a rotatable operating member on thebulkhead, means including a link connected to the operating member forsupporting the bulkhead on the track whereby the bulkhead will be raisedand lowered as the operating member is turned, cooperating parts on thecar and the bulkhead to hold the bulkhead against movement when it is inlowered position, a pivoted latch on the bulkhead to hold it againstraising, and a link connecting the operating member to the latch torelease the latch when the operating member is turned in a direction toraise the bulkhead.

5. In a refrigerator car or the like having a longitudinally extendingtrack therein, a vertical bulkhead, an operating plate on-the bulkheadrotatable about a horizontal axis, means including a link connecting theplate to the track whereby the bulkhead will be raised when the plate isturned, a supporting member in the car on which the bulkhead rests whenit is in lowered position, a pivoted latch on the bulkhead engageablewith the supporting member to prevent movement of the bulkhead, and aconnection from the operating plate to the latch to release the latchwhen the plate is turned in a direction to raise the bulkhead.

' 6.'In a refrigerator car or the like having a longitudinally extendingtrack therein, a vertical bulkhead, an operating plate on the bulkheadrotatable about a horizontal axis, means including a link connecting theplate to the track whereby the bulkhead will be raised when the plate isturned, a supporting member in the car on which the bulkhead rests whenit is in lowered position, the supporting member and bulkhead beingformed with interengaging parts to prevent movement of the bulkheadalong the track when the bulkhead is in lowered position, a pivotedlatch on' the bulkhead engageable with the supporting member to preventraising of the bulkhead, and a link connecting the operating plate tothe latch to release the latch when the plate is turned-in a directionto raise the bulkhead.

'7. In a refrigerator car or the like having a longitudinally extendingtrack therein, a vertical bulkhead, an operating plate on the bulkhead-rotatable about a horizontal axis, means including a link connectingthe plate to the track whereby the bulkhead will be raised when theplate is turned, a supporting member in the car on which the bulkheadrests when it is in lowered position, the supporting member and bulkheadbeing formed with interengaging parts to prevent movement of thebulkhead along the track whenfthe bulkhead is in lowered position, apivoted latch on the bulkhead engageable with the supporting member toprevent raising of the bulkheadpfjand a link connecting the operatingplate to the latch to release the latch when the plate is turned'iii'n adirection to raise the bulkhead, the connections of the links to theoperating plate being spaced substantially 90 whereby turning of theplatelwill first release the latch and thereafter raise'tthe bulkhead.

8. In a refrigerator car or the like having alongitudinally extendingtrack therein, a vertical bulkhead, means supporting the bulkhead onthetrack and movable to raise and lower the bulkhead, a latch to preventmovement of the bulkhead when it is in lowered position, and meansconnecting the latch to the supporting means, to release the latch uponinitial movement of: the supporting means in a direction to raise thebulkhead.

9. In a refrigerator car or the like, a bulkhead having a horizontalbeam extending across its bottom, a latch plate pivotally supported onthe beam having a hook portion pivotally to hook over the beam and anangular latching flange to engage a cooperating latch part in the car,the latch plate being so balanced that it tends to move by gravity tolatching position, and an operating arm on the latch plate to move it torelease position.

10. In a refrigerator car or the like, a bulkhead having a horizontalbeam extending across its bottom, a latch plate pivotally supported onthe beam having a hook portion pivotally to hook over the beam and anangular latching flange to engage a cooperating latch part in the car,the latch plate being so balanced that it tends to move by gravity tolatching position, an operating arm on the latch plate, and a linkextending vertically of the bulkhead and engageable with the arm to turnthe latch plate to release position when the link is moved vertically.

11. In a refrigerator car or the like having a longitudinally extendingtrack in the upper part of the car, a vertical bulkhead, an operatingplate on the bulkhead rotatable about a horizontal axis, means includinga link connecting the plate to the track so that the bulkhead will beraised when the plate is turned, and an operating handle connected tothe plate to turn it.

12. In a refrigerator car or the like having a longitudinally extendingtrack in the upper part of the car, a vertical bulkhead, an operatingplate on the bulkhead rotatable about a horizontal axis, means includinga link connecting the plate to the track so that the bulkhead will beraised when the plate is turned, and an operating handle pivoted to theplate to swing toward and away from the bulkhead through which the platecan be turned.

13. In a refrigerator car or the like having a longitudinally extendingtrack in the upper part of the car, a bulkhead including spaced verticalbeams and planking over the lading side of the beams terminating shortof the top thereof, an operating plate supported by the beams adjacentthe top of the planking and rotatable about a horizontal axis, meansincluding a link connecting the plate to the track so that the bulkheadwill be raised as the plate is turned, and a handle pivoted to the plateto swing toward and away from the bulkhead, the handle being mounted tolie above the planking and to swing out over the planking to turn theplate.

CHARLES L. MOORMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,085,753 Moore Feb. 3, 19142,328,820 Lundvall Sept. '7, 1943 2,346,853 Lundvall Apr. 18, 1944

